Is the M not back up and running now?
What did you do to your Z4M today?
- Thread starter RedUn
- Start date
Is the M not back up and running now?
Liverpool
Nope
The guy supposed to be fixing for the last decade has gone from little contact to zero contract since January. Whatsapp, texts, voicemails, emails, postcards go unanswered...even simple messages to check on him and his family's wellbeing are not read / replied to.
Even going to sell my Infinitas SK2S supercharger kit, as it's unlikely I'll have a car that I can fit it to (and haven't got the cash to buy another) - but have someone interested in installing it when they do an S54 engine swap into a classic BMW, so will give him time to decide before offering it up elsewhere.
The yearly return voyage was completed once again, though this time I had a little bonus tension along the way.
Driving through France I somehow missed the petrol station I was meant to stop at. With the next one a little further away than ideal, I resorted to slipstreaming a truck for 60km at 90kmh. For a while the miles of range on the car were ticking down as quickly as the KM Waze reckoned I had to go, it was looking tight.
Eventually things started to work, and despite Monsieur le trucker not being too happy with my antics, I rolled in to the next station having achieved 38mpg and with a whopping 24 miles left.
Just over 50l later I was back on my way-I think that’s the most fuel I’ve ever been able to fit in the car in one go!
I stayed in a nice place about an hour from Calais and soothed my soul with a fillet steak and a Belgian beer. No photos of the food, obviously, but the car looked good in its parking space.
Once back on more courageous soil, I cleaned off the 850 miles of grime and balance was restored to the universe.
Next stop, inspection 1 and MOT. Fingers crossed.
Driving through France I somehow missed the petrol station I was meant to stop at. With the next one a little further away than ideal, I resorted to slipstreaming a truck for 60km at 90kmh. For a while the miles of range on the car were ticking down as quickly as the KM Waze reckoned I had to go, it was looking tight.
Eventually things started to work, and despite Monsieur le trucker not being too happy with my antics, I rolled in to the next station having achieved 38mpg and with a whopping 24 miles left.
Just over 50l later I was back on my way-I think that’s the most fuel I’ve ever been able to fit in the car in one go!
I stayed in a nice place about an hour from Calais and soothed my soul with a fillet steak and a Belgian beer. No photos of the food, obviously, but the car looked good in its parking space.
Once back on more courageous soil, I cleaned off the 850 miles of grime and balance was restored to the universe.
Next stop, inspection 1 and MOT. Fingers crossed.
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Is it not worth recovering it as it is and get someone else to finish it?Nope
The guy supposed to be fixing for the last decade has gone from little contact to zero contract since January. Whatsapp, texts, voicemails, emails, postcards go unanswered...even simple messages to check on him and his family's wellbeing are not read / replied to.
Even going to sell my Infinitas SK2S supercharger kit, as it's unlikely I'll have a car that I can fit it to (and haven't got the cash to buy another) - but have someone interested in installing it when they do an S54 engine swap into a classic BMW, so will give him time to decide before offering it up elsewhere.
Seems a shame.
The issue is that the last photo I saw of it, showed it on a workshop ramp with other cars parked under/around it - with scaffolding/tarpaulin around them to protect them from the work going on with the workshop roof (damaged during one of the many storms they seem to have every month).
I've offered to turn up with a friend in a Discovery and a braked trailer to take it elsewhere, but it's not accessible - and won't be without the guy's assistance. Plus, after this long I don't know what I can believe about what he's said has been done/not done.
Derby
Been in a similar situation - bite the bullet and get it back ASAP is my advice as it'll just get worse over time based on my experience(s). The longer it goes on, the more chance of problems, exaggeration over work done/not done and just general hassle.
Not today, rather one day last week - drove 600km, including coming home in the dark on 60km of this:
It’s not just a squiggly line in one plane, there were some impressive elevation changes too (ascending 400m / 1300ft and descending 372m / 1200ft before reaching the main highway):
I was the only car on the road, so I was able to enjoy corners like this:
Unfortunately, I also found a pothole big enough to reset the OBD-powered head up display on the dashboard. Once I got home, I also discovered that the cooling fan only switches on if the air con compressor is running, regardless of engine temperature.
Google tells me that the probable culprit is an intermittent connection between the DME and the fan controller, likely due to the flimsy signal wire breaking as I crashed out of the crater in the road.
My fuel economy on the outbound 300km trip was 28-30mpg (mostly motorways or dual carriageways, post morning rush hour but during peak police highway patrol activity levels, ascending 2200m / 7200ft and descending 2200m / 7200ft). It was somewhat less on the way home after 60km cross country, 240km of mostly unpatrolled motorway!
It’s not just a squiggly line in one plane, there were some impressive elevation changes too (ascending 400m / 1300ft and descending 372m / 1200ft before reaching the main highway):
I was the only car on the road, so I was able to enjoy corners like this:
Unfortunately, I also found a pothole big enough to reset the OBD-powered head up display on the dashboard. Once I got home, I also discovered that the cooling fan only switches on if the air con compressor is running, regardless of engine temperature.
Google tells me that the probable culprit is an intermittent connection between the DME and the fan controller, likely due to the flimsy signal wire breaking as I crashed out of the crater in the road.
My fuel economy on the outbound 300km trip was 28-30mpg (mostly motorways or dual carriageways, post morning rush hour but during peak police highway patrol activity levels, ascending 2200m / 7200ft and descending 2200m / 7200ft). It was somewhat less on the way home after 60km cross country, 240km of mostly unpatrolled motorway!
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Finished up another year of track days, all at Castle Combe this year as it's nice to only be 20 or so minutes away from the track without having the long journey before and after a day! Car's still going well on 118k miles, despite a small wheel 'off' issue late last year, touch wood it's been uber reliable other than usual wear and tear stuff like brake pads etc.
Few notes I came up with over the year which may or may not help others,. Oil wise I changed to Fuchs Titan Race Pro, the red stuff. No real reason why other than I'd read a few S54 guys are using it on track and it's 'better' than the original Castrol stuff.
Personally, I found it ran slightly hotter temp wise than Castrol and strangely also seemed to burn more oil than Castrol with no apparent leaks. Caveat to both those two is running hotter is probably debatable as of course it's been a pretty scorchio summer and I could well have a small oil leak somewhere that I can't see but the usual trouble spots are dry, yes even the chain tensioner for a change!
Either way, I'll be changing it back to Castrol next year and see how it goes.
Monoball RTAB's seem like a decent upgrade from the old OE RTAB's and limiters, not night and day for sure IMO, but back end seems a little more predictable and sure footed when putting power down which is a good thing. Should also last a long time without worry of wear also. Maybe a little more NVH but if you're considering them I doubt you'll be worried about that!
Changed to J hook brake discs on the front from Godspeed, fine on track, will probably go back to just grooved next time though as J hook's do make more noise day to day driving and can't feel any difference between them and grooved other than the noise.
Also have to mention Lotus On Track as a track day organiser. I joined up at the start of the year, (they do allow Z4's) as they do a few days at Combe as well as a decent amount of abroad tracks which are starting to be more tempting (Spa, yes please!), albeit not this year for me personally.
Have to say, having used most the other TDO's over the years, the LoT days have been by a country mile the best organised and run. Rules are very much road cars enjoying a day out on track rather than the anything goes (car wise) policy the majority of TDO's use (I'm aware of the why's and arguments for and against sharing a track with 'race' car's etc.) but personally I prefer a day that isn't masquerading as a test day.
The LoT days are genuinely low number days, loads of room in the paddock for everyone and both days I did I didn't have to queue once to go out on track and not a single red flag either, or even a yellow from what I recall. General etiquette on track is also much more friendly, especially regards overtaking.
If you want to go out on track but worried about the risk from others, then these are probably the most risk free track days you're going to get to get, caveat of course is my knowledge of them only extends to one track so far, but they run the same rules across all tracks they go to so can't imagine it's any different at other tracks.
Not trying to be a salesman for them but felt it was worth sharing as it was a genuine breath of fresh air doing the 2 days I did with them and both days highly enjoyable.
Anyway, off to fit new pads all round, upgrade the brake cooling and a few other jobs that need doing over winter including spraying one of the sills, again!
Few notes I came up with over the year which may or may not help others,. Oil wise I changed to Fuchs Titan Race Pro, the red stuff. No real reason why other than I'd read a few S54 guys are using it on track and it's 'better' than the original Castrol stuff.
Personally, I found it ran slightly hotter temp wise than Castrol and strangely also seemed to burn more oil than Castrol with no apparent leaks. Caveat to both those two is running hotter is probably debatable as of course it's been a pretty scorchio summer and I could well have a small oil leak somewhere that I can't see but the usual trouble spots are dry, yes even the chain tensioner for a change!
Either way, I'll be changing it back to Castrol next year and see how it goes.
Monoball RTAB's seem like a decent upgrade from the old OE RTAB's and limiters, not night and day for sure IMO, but back end seems a little more predictable and sure footed when putting power down which is a good thing. Should also last a long time without worry of wear also. Maybe a little more NVH but if you're considering them I doubt you'll be worried about that!
Changed to J hook brake discs on the front from Godspeed, fine on track, will probably go back to just grooved next time though as J hook's do make more noise day to day driving and can't feel any difference between them and grooved other than the noise.
Also have to mention Lotus On Track as a track day organiser. I joined up at the start of the year, (they do allow Z4's) as they do a few days at Combe as well as a decent amount of abroad tracks which are starting to be more tempting (Spa, yes please!), albeit not this year for me personally.
Have to say, having used most the other TDO's over the years, the LoT days have been by a country mile the best organised and run. Rules are very much road cars enjoying a day out on track rather than the anything goes (car wise) policy the majority of TDO's use (I'm aware of the why's and arguments for and against sharing a track with 'race' car's etc.) but personally I prefer a day that isn't masquerading as a test day.
The LoT days are genuinely low number days, loads of room in the paddock for everyone and both days I did I didn't have to queue once to go out on track and not a single red flag either, or even a yellow from what I recall. General etiquette on track is also much more friendly, especially regards overtaking.
If you want to go out on track but worried about the risk from others, then these are probably the most risk free track days you're going to get to get, caveat of course is my knowledge of them only extends to one track so far, but they run the same rules across all tracks they go to so can't imagine it's any different at other tracks.
Not trying to be a salesman for them but felt it was worth sharing as it was a genuine breath of fresh air doing the 2 days I did with them and both days highly enjoyable.
Anyway, off to fit new pads all round, upgrade the brake cooling and a few other jobs that need doing over winter including spraying one of the sills, again!
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@AndyBeech amazing picture! That needs to go into the monthly comp’.
Sadly the photo comp says photos have to be taken by yourself which kind of precludes any track photos (unless someone else is driving your car)
Thanks, though sadly I didn’t have a hand in it, just a regular track day photo.
This was back in April, fresh from a front end respray and a full paint detail so looked as good as it ever will I imagine! Got to say it did look great for a 20 year old car, up until the hosepipe ban that is
Cracking photo and a lovely write-up - always nice to hear about genuinely decent trackday experiences
I've got my last one of the year on Monday at Bedford - hopefully there wont be any kebab-cooking R35 drivers there to ruin the fun...! I'll be heading out with your GoPro strapped in Andy - it's not managed to escape trackdays since departing your ownership!
Cracking photo and a lovely write-up - always nice to hear about genuinely decent trackday experiences
Cheers Ed! Yeah you know how it is with track days, more often than not it's fine whichever TDO you book with and I've not had any bad experiences as such, though there's one in particular I tend to avoid booking with if possible for various reasons. Thankfully not come across anyone as bad as the kebab guy yet so fingers crossed for you!
Bedford's a great track in my eyes (the GT layout anyway), always had good times there.Glad the GoPro's carrying on it's duties! Took me a while to get it set up properly with camera settings and placement to get a good view of the track and a reasonable sense of speed which is always difficult, so you may have to experiment but look forward to seeing any vids of the day!
Always nice seeing other Z4M track vids as useful to see what's achievable and measure yourself by (unless it's TomK at Combe doing 1:16's which is frankly unachievable and makes me look like my nan driving
).
ahem, 1:15s grandpa(unless it's TomK at Combe doing 1:16's which is frankly unachievable and makes me look like my nan driving
I think i got to a 1:15.3 there. It's the coupe advantage
Not today but very recently changed front left wheel bearing. First time. I think I was lucky, super simple, old one came off no problem. Pulled it apart to examine the worn bearings.
We drove 2k km with it grumbling back from Italy. Bit concerned it might seize but no prob in the end.
We drove 2k km with it grumbling back from Italy. Bit concerned it might seize but no prob in the end.
